Susie Istock
12 April 2007

Junior League of Boston to Host Youth Violence Issue Forum at Boston Public Library on April 18

The Junior League of Boston will host a 3-part lecture series with Boston-area subject matter experts and partners about important topics related to the JLB’s mission and community focus.

(Boston, MA) April 12, 2007 – The Junior League of Boston (JLB) announces details about lecture series running in conjunction with the “Women Volunteers in Action, A Century of Commitment” exhibit at the Boston Public Library (Copley Square Branch) from April 6 – April 27, 2007.

The Junior League of Boston will host a 3-part lecture series during April centering on important topics related to the Junior League of Boston’s current focus area, The Health and Education of Women and Children. “We’re very excited to discuss women’s and children’s community service needs at the Boston Public Library this April,” said Kirby Lunger, President. “The lecture series will raise the level of dialogue around these community needs and trends.” The lecture series will be held in the Rabb Lecture Hall at the Boston Public Library (Copley branch) in the lower lobby. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The Youth Violence panel will discuss current themes related to youth violence including trends around girl-against-girl violence and other major youth violence concerns and trends facing our communities today. The session will be moderated by the Junior League of Boston and will include a Q&A period with the audience. The lecture will be held at 9:30am ET in the Rabb Lecture Hall (Lower Lobby).

Panelists include:

Dr. Denise Howley, Deputy Executive Director, Germaine Lawrence, Inc

Andrea J., Cabral, Suffolk County Sherriff

Robert Lewis, Jr., Executive Director, Boston Centers for Youth and Families

Speaker Biographies

Dr. Denise “Deni” Howley, LICSW, Ph.D., is the Deputy Executive Director of Germaine Lawrence Incorporated located in Arlington MA. Germaine Lawrence School is a residential treatment facility for adolescent girls with behavioral problems.  The agency works with girls who have problems with aggression, substance abuse, recovering from trauma, eating disorders and emotional regulation.  Dr. Howley is an administrator and educator with many years of experience of working with girls who have problems managing aggressive behaviors.  Formerly an adjunct professor at Salem State College, Simmons College, Bradford College and Northern Essex Community College, she has also given workshops around the country on the topics of female aggression and sexual offending.

Andrea J. Cabral was elected on November 2, 2004 and sworn in on January 5, 2005 as the 30th Sheriff of Suffolk County. She is the first female in the Commonwealth’s history to hold the position. Sheriff Andrea Cabral is responsible for the operation of the House of Correction, the Suffolk County Jail, the Suffolk County Women’s Resource Center, the Suffolk County Community Corrections Center and the Civil Process Division. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department has more than 1,100 employees comprised of correctional officers, criminal justice professionals, caseworkers and administrative staff whose primary responsibility is upholding public safety and providing rehabilitative support for more than 2,500 offenders daily. Sheriff Cabral brings an extensive legal background and a commitment to public safety in her 18- year career in public service. Sheriff Cabral is a graduate of Boston College (1981) with a Bachelor of Arts degree and Suffolk University Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1986.

Robert Lewis, Jr., is the Executive Director of the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF). The mission of the BCYF is to provide a wide range of comprehensive educational, recreational, and social programs that meet the needs of children, youth, and families according to the needs of each neighborhood. Prior to his role with the Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF), he served at the following organizations, President and Executive Director of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) Greater Boston Region; Executive Director & VP of City Year Boston and as Senior Vice President of Community Affairs for City Year, Inc., and was a City Year representative with former President William J. Clinton and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela; and Boston Housing Authority (BHA) as Director of Community Initiatives (CID).  In 1990 as part of the Boston Community Centers, he led the City of Boston’s first citywide gang intervention and violence prevention program; the Streetworkers Program. In 1991 the Streetworkers Program was the recipient of the City of Boston’s Management Consortium Service Program Award of Excellence. The Streetworkers program also received numerous local, state, and national awards for it’s outstanding leadership in violence prevention. Robert has also been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations for his work over the last 20 years. Lewis attended the University of Massachusetts and Curry College, where he majored in Sociology. He currently serves on these board and committees: the Pine Street Inn, Topf Center for Dance Education – Advisory Committee, Children’s Hospital –Community Advisory Board, Boston Private Industry Council – Community Advisory Committee, Black Ministerial Alliance (BMA), EdVestors, and The South End Youth Baseball Program.

About the “Women Volunteers in Action” Exhibit:The exhibit celebrates 100 years of the Junior League of Boston’s volunteer work to improve the social conditions in the Greater Boston community and features archival materials from 100 years of innovative community service projects. The JLB’s current community service initiatives are featured in lively, large format photographs (produced as a pro bono project by Boston University’s Center for Digital Imaging Arts) to tell the story how the JLB’s 1,200 women volunteers continue to impact the community. The exhibit can be viewed at the Copley Branch of Library in the Boston Room and Rabb Lobby. For more information about the exhibit and lecture series please visit www.jlboston.org. The exhibit is free of charge and the public is welcome. The Junior League of Boston thanks “Women Volunteers in Action” exhibit partners: the Boston Public Library, Hart-Boillot LLC, Boston University’s Center for Digital Imaging Arts, Samuel Adams, and George P. Johnson. 

About The Junior League of Boston: The Junior League of Boston is an organization of 1,200 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For more information, please visit our web site at www.jlboston.org. The Junior League of Boston joins 293 Leagues across the world to form the Association of Junior Leagues International. These Leagues have nearly 170,000 members in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they represent one of the largest international volunteer organizations for women interested in making a positive impact in their communities. For more information, visit the web site www.ajli.org.